Telephone-exchange



(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet l.

E W. Y. SHIBATA. TELEPHONE EXCHANGE.

Patented July 30, 1895.

5 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

W. Y. SHIBATA. TELEPHONE XGEAE E.

(No Model.) v 5 sheets-sheet 4. W. Y. SHIBATA.

TELEPHONE EXCHANGE.

5 Sheets-Sheet 5,

{No Model.)

W. Y. SHIBATA. TELEPHONE EXCHANGE.

Patented July 30, 1895'.

UNTTED STATES PATENT Trice WADA Y. SHIBATA, OF SAN FRANCISCO,CALIFORNIA.

TELEPHONE-EXCHANGE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 543,708, dated July 30,1895.

Application filed November 24, 1893. Serial No. 491,872. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WADA Y. SHIBATA, a citizen of Japan, residing inthe-city and county of San Francisco, State of California, have inventedan Improvement in Telephone Exchanges; and I hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention relates to an automatic tele phone-exchange system, wherebyeach subscriber is enabled to connect himself at pleasure with any othersubscriber and to disconnect himself therefrom.

It consists in certain details of construction, which will be more fullyexplained by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1is a diagrammatic general view of my apparatus. Fig. 1 is a diagrammaticview showing two pairs of tracks and the conducting-strips, and showingalso the course of the wires and their connection. Fig. 2 is a verticalcross-section through the indicator-box, showing its interior. Fig. 3 isa cross-section through the disk 0. Fig. 4 is a detail view showing partof the ring J, the wheel H, and their connections. Fig. 5 is a sideelevation of the car F and track. Fig. 6 is an end view of the same.Fig. 7 is a skeleton view of the car, showing principally the wireconnections. Fig.8 is an enlarged plan showing two of the cars upon thetrack. Fig. 9 is a diagra1n matic figure showing the connections betweenthe caller, through the central exchange, to the one called.

In carrying out my invention I employ a number of parallel wooden barsI) clamped together, and to which are secured metallic strips m atintervals, and they are insulated from each other by verticalnon-conducting strips M. These metallic plates are connected togetherinto two groups by Wires 6 and 24. One of each of these wires connectswith the line-wires and the other with the magnet C and battery B asshown in Figs. 1 and 6. Transversely to these bars extend tracks t t,upon which the cars F are adapted to travel. These cars carry amechanism to be hereinafter described, through which a communication ismade with the track, so that a car running upon the tracks t and t willcommunicate through one track t with the operating mechanism by whichthe car is caused to move across the plates m and through the othertrack, which connects with the'ground, so 'as to form a completecircuit,the current passing from one track through the connections upon one sideinto the apparatus on the car, thence through the other side and trackto the ground.

By means of an intermittent current produced by apparatus controlled bythe sender any car is advanced so as to connect with the wire of thenumber with which it is desired to communicate. Upon these cars aremounted an apparatus consisting of the electromagnets 0, O, and O, thepermanent magnets P and P, with wires and connecting-brushes, and thehinged bent arms I and I, which are adapted to move over the plates 1%upon the bars b when the car moves transversely to these bars.

Toothed wheels upon the cars engage teeth upon the rack-bars or tracks tt, and pawls actuated by the mechanism upon the car engage the teeth ofthe wheels and advance them along the track when an intermittentelectric current is passed through the mechanism, as before stated. I

n n are electromagnets, and n n are arms of non-conducting material atthe central station, hinged together at n and actuated by theelectromagnets n n, so that when moved down they separate the springcontact-pieces M, which are normally closed together to complete acircuit, but which are separated by the operation of the magnets, so asto break the circuit at the proper time. This breaking of the circuittakes place when communication is opened with any subscriber andprevents any interference by other subscribers while this connectioncontinues. I

When the contacts 01 of any subscriber are separated, no current canpass at that point and no interference can take place by others. Thearms n 12. of non-conducting material, are connected and fulcrumed, asshown at n, so that one of them is forced down when the other is drawnup by the core of its electro- F is the receiver at any subscribershouse,

Ito

and S is the automatic switch, which is set to connect the desired wiresand make the proper connections when communication is to be openedbetween subscribers.

k is a crank with suitable gearing within a case D, and d is anindicator movable over a dial numbered to correspond with the list ofsubscribers. Now, when it is desired to communicate with any subscriber,the indicator d is turned until it points to the number of thesubscriber with which it is desired to communicate. The switch S beingfirst turned correspondingly to connect any of the points surroundingit, as shown in Fig. 1, and the crank turned, the current will passthrough the connecting-wires and the switch and will transmit a currentthrough the mechanism upon the car, which will move the latter over thetracks until the arms I I have formed contact with the plates m upon theconnecting-wires through which communication is to be made with thedesired subscriber.

D is a case containing the dial (1, and the indicator-pointers Q and dare fixed to shafts projecting through this dial, so that when theshafts are turned these pointers are moved over the figures upon theface of the dial.

The shafts of the two pointers are caused to rotate with relation toeach other by gears q, Fig. 2.

The shaft K, upon which the indicator-hand d is fixed,carries abevel-gear k, which is engaged by a bevel-pinion k fixed upon the shaftof the crank W.

A circular slot 61 is made around the periphery of the dial, and throughthis slot projects a rod 1, which slides in a sleeve upon the outer endof a radial arm l, the inner end of which turns loosely upon the shaftK.

Upon the shaft K is fixed a non-conducting disk 0 having within it acircular conducting-ring 0 and this ring has radially-projecting arms atintervals, carrying upon the outer ends plates 0, which are sunk flushwith the surface of the periphery of the disk, as shown.

o is a brush pressing upon the surface of the disk, so that when thelatter is rotated these plates 0 pass beneath the brush, one end ofwhich is connected with the wire 18, while the interior metallic ring 0is connected with the wire 17.

Whenever the shaft is turned and stopped at a point where the brush 0'rests upon either of these contact-plates 0, a current will pass and acontinued revolution of the disk alternately makes and breaks theconnection and produces an intermittent current, which is transmittedthrough the mechanism upon the car to advance the latter along its trackuntil, by the revolution of the wheel H, the circuit-breaker withdrawsthe spring 71 and interrupts the current.

F is the receiver. f is the microphone connected therewith.

fis the battery for the microphone; C the induction-coil; E, the bell;and C is the electromagnet for actuating the bell-hammer.

G is the automatic switch, and g is the spring by which the localcircuit is opened or closed when the receiver F is placed upon the hookor removed therefrom.

d Fig. 2, is the generator or battery within the case D.

The operation would then be as follows: If any subscriber desires tocommunicate with another subscriber-as, for instance, as shown in Fig.1,with number 4the arm 1 is moved around the shaft K, so that the arm Ztravels in the slot (1 in the dial to the number of the subscriber to becommunicated with. NVhen the desired point is reached the arm Z is thenpushed in to bring the circuit-breaker L into the path of the spring h.Theswitch S is moved to the proper position, and an intermittent currentis induced by turning the crank 70*, which advances the car at thecentral station until the circuit-breaker L acts to cut off the current,when the car will have been advanced to the desired station, asindicated by the pointer 01 When the telephone is out of use the switchS stands so that wire 23 makes connection with wire 12 and with thepoints.

WVhen the connection is to be made with the subscriber, the switch isturned so as to make connection between wires 16 and 11, and alsobetween 15 and s. The handle k is then turned and a current is caused toflow through wires 15, 8, 1, 2,4, 5, and through the shaft V upon thecar F, thence through a wire 21, electromagnet 0, through wire 21, 7,and through the ground, returning through wire 19, 11, 16, 18, and 17,to the generator, as shown in Fig. 1.

The apparatus upon the car F consists of the electromagnets O, C, and C,a permanent tilting magnet P, supported above the ends of these magnets,carrying pawls w w, and capable of being moved downwardly at either endwhen these electromagnets are energized, and a magnet P, hinged to theshaft V, and carrying a circuit-breaker 12 at its movable end, which isadapted to make or break contact with the brush B on the shaft V.

The magnet P, in its normal position, rests in a horizontal positionupon the two shafts V and V, and when it isin that position either ofits ends will be near enough to be attracted by the electromagnet O,which is energized. The magnet P has semicylindrical arcs fixed upon itslower surface, which rest upon the shafts V V, and when the magnet P istilted by the attraction of either magnet (J, the are upon that sideturns about the shaft upon which it'rests, while the opposite end of themagnet P is correspondingly lifted up, as shown in Fig. 5. When themagnet O is deenergized the magnet P falls by gravitation to its normalposition, resting upon the shafts V V. The alternate attraction andrelease of the magnet by either of the electromagnets C will continue totilt it in this manner as often as the circuit is made and broken by thesubscriber.

The pawl w or w, as the case may be, en-

gages the teeth of the wheel upon the same side with the attractingelectromagnet C, as follows: The teeth upon the periphery of the wheelare formed about the center of the wheel, but as the magnet P tiltsabout a fulcrum V or V, which is between the center and periphery of thewheel, thearc of movement of the pawl is smaller than the arc of thewheel, and consequently intersects it, and everytime the pawl on oneside is depressed it engages a tooth upon that side and advances thewheel one tooth. For the same reason, as the opposite end of the magnetP describes an are larger than that of the wheel, its pawl will moveaway from the teeth as it rises and will not act upon them. After theacting-pawl has moved the wheel forward one tooth and the electromagnetO is de-energized, the magnetP will fall by gravitation to its normalposition upon the shafts V V, and as the pawl moves back in its arcmovement it also moves away from the teeth and passes the nextsucceeding one by reason of the bevel of its-upper side and theelasticity of its arm. If the car is to be advanced in the oppositedirection the other electromagnet C will be used, and the pawl upon theopposite end of the magnet P will act, because the fulcrum will then bechanged to the shaft V or V nearest to thatside.

The operation of the magnets O O is for the purpose of attracting thepermanent magnet P, so that when the current flows one way one end ofthe magnet will be depressed and the other repulsed and the pawl 'w-orto engaging the teeth of the wheel W causes it to revolve, and itsengagement with the rackbars will cause the car to be moved in one orthe other direction. A reverse current will cause the reverse movementof the car. The

magnet or coil 0 acts to cut out the coils O by attracting the armatureP and pressing the brush B away from the bar V, thus cutting ofi theconnection of coil 0, 21, B bar V, brush B 27, W track t, ground-wire 7,and also that of the other coil 0 as being in the same circuit. Thecoiln is to prevent the caller being disturbed by other subscribers, andit is to prevent a short circuit from the callers office to the ground.

Suppose the set to the right in Fig. l was the caller. The current onwire 1 2 will energize n, and therefore separate the connection at 72?,leading the current through 72, 4, n 5, through the central station, asshown by arrows in the diagrammatic view, Fig. 9, to the electromagnet nto wire 3, n to 1 of the one to be called on. As soon as the car hasarrived on the called persons bar, the arm 1 forms conalternatelyenergized, and thus cause these gear-wheels to travel over the rack-barsof the tracks t t, as shown in Fig. 5.

The shafts V V and V extend across beneath the magnet P, and the magnetforms contact with these shafts when it is drawn downwardly. Connectedwith these shafts are brushes B, B, B B and B respectively, andconnected with these brushes are wires 20, 21, 27, 22, 24, 7, and 6.Upon the ends of the shaft V are the wheels W and W which travelrespectively upon the tracks ft and are caused to advance thereon, aspreviously described.

When at rest the magnet P lies upon the shafts V V V, as shown in Fig.7. When connection is made from any telephoneswitch S and the crank 10is turned, an intermittent current is sent through the magnet C, Fig. 5,and it alternately attracts and releases the magnet P and causes it totilt about its fulcrum-point upon the shaft V. The spring-pawl w engagesa tooth of the wheel W and thus advances it a tooth at each downwardmovement of the magnet end, and it springs out and disengages at eachupward movement of the end of the magnet, thus advancing the car byintermittent movements with each completion and break of the current bythe turning of the crank k and mechanism in the box D until the currentis interrupted by the circuit-breaker L before described.

When the car is to be advanced to make connection between two points,the current passes through the electromagnet 0 (shown at the lowerright-hand corner in Fig. 6,) and its armature c attracting the hingedmovable arm '1', moves the rubber sheets R and draws them over such ofthe plates m, with which it is not desired to make a contact, thuspractically insulating all of such plates, so that the arms I 1 upon thecar will be dragged across these sheets in an inclined position, and outof contact with the said plates m, until they reach apoint just abovesuch of the other plates m with which connection is to be made. The armZ, Fig. 2, is then returned to zero. The switch S is set to makeconnection, so that the electromagnet 0 upon the left side in Fig. 5 isenergized, and will act to tilt the left end of the magnetP downwardabout its fulcrum-point, which is thus transferred to the shaft V. Thiscauses the pawl 10 to engage the teeth upon the left side of wheel W andthus move the car back until the arms I I drop into a vertical positionbetween the nonconducting sheets R, and they will then form contact withthe platesm m not covered by them to connect the desired points. Whenthe arm 1' makes contact with its plate m, an electric current flowsfrom magnet O to wire 24, to plate m, to arm 1 and wire22, and throughthe central coil G',Fig. 5, and energizes itso that it attracts thepermanent magnet P. This forces the circuit-breaker 13 between theshaftV and the brush B and the other arm I, making contact with itsplate m, completes the circuit from battery B Figs. 1 and 8.

When the current is sent through the apparatus to move the car in thereverse direction, as above described, the switch is turned to connect16 and 8 and'15 with 10, Fig. 1. The current then flows through 1.5, 10,19 to the ground and returns through 7, 27, 21, electromaguet (l at theleft upon the car, shaftV wires 5, 4, 2, 1, 8, 16, 18, 17 to (Z When theconnection .isamade .through the car F and the arms I and l with theplates m, representing the subscriber to be communicated with, thecall-bell is rung, the current passing through 17, 18, 16, 1, 2, 4, 5,shaft V wire 22, clectromagnet (3' upon the car, arm 1, wires 6, 3, 1,8, 23, 12, and electroinagnet (J to ring the bell, thence through wire19 to the ground, returning through 19, 10, 15 to 01 The telephone thusstanding for comn'iunication, the circuit is completed through wires14:, 13, 1,2,4, 5, shaft V wires 22, connectingarm 1, wires 0, 3, 2, 1,13, 14-, and 9 to the ground.

The arms a nflhinged at n", are actuated by the eleetromagnets n 77/, asbefore described, whereby when the current passes through one of thesemagnets the arms opposite thereto will be forced between its springs aas shown in Fig. 1, and separate these springs and break the connectionbetween the wires connecting them, sothat no current can be passed fromany other line of wire while this communication is taking place.

Each bar 1) represents a subscriber and. each subscriber has a carriageand has a certain track which crosses the bars of all the othersubscribers. Now, for example, the carriage of a subscriber at the leftof Fig. 1, who has called, has reached subscriber No. 4. Consequentlyhis wire 6 thus becomes connected with the switch S, (disconnecting hiswire 6 with any other subscriber,) and thence, through wire 1, is led tothe callers receiver. The wire ti'of subscriber t leads the currentthrough his magnet n, and thence to his receiver by thehereinbefore-described wires, and so the connection is formed betweenthe two subscribers.

As soon as the carriage has arrived at subscriber t the arms I and Ihave dropped on the plates m m, thus making connection between the wires24: through arm I, 20, brush .13, shaft V brush B and wire 22. The magnet 0 thus being energized attracts P and breaks connection between C Oat B and consequently stops any furthermovement of the carriage. Thecurrent passing through wire 22, arm I, wire 6 to it energizes n,pushing n forward and disconnecting the wire 5, thus preventing thissubscriber from calling anyone else while this condition continues.Thence the current passes through 3, 1, 8, 23, 12, G 19 to the ground,thus completing the circuit from 25 through B 24, energizing Gattracting the arm 'r' to 0 Fig. 1, to draw the rubber plates R abovethe strips m of subscriber 4ts bar, and thus preventing anyone else fromconnecting with him.

In calling subscriber t we first move armZ to No. 4 and thenpressitinwardly, thus bringing L into the path of the elastic arm h,Fig. 4. Now we turn the crank K and this brings the first plate 0 inconnection with brush 0', thus leading the current from the battery (1Fig. 2, through 17, 18,11, h, 16, 8, 1 (disconnecting 3, n, and 6 ofcaller to prevent another from connecting with him at the same instant),thence to 4, 5, rail 25, wheel W shaft V brush l5, wire 21, andelectromagnct C, (energizing C, attracting armature I, and turningwheels W and W through pawl 14:, the distance of one subscribers bar 5,)21, 0, B V, B, 27, W to track If and wire 7 to the ground. Afurthermovement of the crank brings the insulated part of wheel in contact withthe brush 0, thus interrupting the former current, but the continuedrotation of the crank brings the nextplate 0 in contact with the brush0', and the former currcntis established again, moving the carriage overthe next subscribers bar, and so on till the bar of subscriber 4 isreached. A further move-' ment of the crank will now bring the arm hagainst the circuit-breaker L and keep the former out of contact withring J, thus arresting the current used to advance the car, and anyfurther turning of crank I would simply move arm Z with it around thedial.

In returning the carriage the crank is turned in the opposite direction,the switch at S is set so that the current in wire 1 becomes nowreversed (from positive to negative) and consequently the other magnet Oon carriage F becomes energized, and the fulcrum of the lever P beingtransferred to the shaft V as the lever is tilted the pawl 20 is engagedand the wheel turned in the opposite direction, thus moving thecarriagebackward the Width of an adjacent subscribers bar, and so ontill the carriage is back to its initial position.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a telephone exchange, the series of parallel non-conducting bars,independent insulated metallic plates fixed thereto, toothed tracksextending transversely across above the sets of metallic plates, carsadapted to move across said tracks, arms depending from said cars uponopposite sides and adapted to form contact with plates in two differentlines and conducting wires connecting the sets of plates with each otherin independent groups, and connecting with the exchange subscriber, andinterrupting non-conducting sheets, movable over the bars to preventcontacts while a car is being moved forward, substantially as hereindescribed.

2. In a telephone exchange system, a series of non-conducting barshaving independent metallic plates mounted transversely thereon, toothedtracks extending transversely above said plates, having dependingcontact bars by which connection is made between two setsof plates,electro magnets and permanent magnets mounted upon a car withmeans forrotating the wheels of the car whereby the latter is advanced along thetracks above the plates, and non-conducting protectors adapted to extendabove the plates, and over which the contact bars move when the caradvances in one direction, said protectors having intermediate open'spaces through which the contact bars drop by a reverse movement of thecar, substantially as herein described.

3. In a telephone exchange system, parallel non-conducting bars havingindependent metallic conducting plates extending transversely acrossthem, and connected in alternate groups and with the line wires asshown, tracks having their upper surfaces toothed, extendingtransversely across above the bars and plates, cars having gear-wheelsadapted to engage the teeth of said tracks, permanent and electromagnets, means for transmitting a current through the electro magnetswhereby the permanent magnets are alternately attracted and repulsed,pawls carried by said magnets adapted to engage the teeth of the wheelsand rotate them so that the cars are moved along the track, dependingconducting arms supported from the car and adapted to form a contactwith the metallic conducting plates beneath, non-conducting shields, anelectro magnet and intermediate mechanism whereby said shields are movedso as to prevent contact between the depending arms and the plates untilthe car reaches the point at which connection is to be made, and wiresconnecting the different subscribers in the circuit with the independentplates whereby the difierent telephones ot' the line may beautomatically connected with each other from any station, substantiallyas herein described.

4. In a telephone exchange system, the parallel non-conducting bars, theindependent metallic conducting plates secured thereto and connectedwith the subscribers telephones .of the system, cars movable upon trackstransversely above the plates, and arms depending from the cars adaptedto form contact with the plates as they pass above them, electro magnetsn n and non-conducting arms n and n hinged with relation thereto andwith contact springs n so as to be actuated to separate said springs andbreak the contact between wires connected with the springs whenever acircuit is established between two telephones, whereby interruptionsfrom other lines are prevented, substantially as herein described.

5. In a telephone exchange system, a series of parallel non-conductingbars, independent metallic plates secured transversely thereto, tracksmounted transversely above said plates, and cars adapted to travel uponsaid tracks, arms depending from the cars adapted to form contactbetween the various plates, non-conducting shields and an electro magnetby which they are movable in conjunction with the movements of the carso as to expose only the points through which communication is to bemade, hinged non-conducting arms and electro magnets acting thereon,spring connections between the lines of wire adapted to be separated bythe action of the arms so as to cut off communication from other linesof wire when two points in the system have been connected, substantiallyas herein described.

6. In a telephone exchange system, a case having a circular dialnumbered to correspond with the subscribers connected with the system, acentral shaft and a hand or pointer fixed thereto movable over the dialto point to either of the figures thereon, a stationary ring fixedwithin the case, an arm projecting through an annular slot around theperiphery of the dial and adapted to form or break contact by pushing itin or pulling it out, adisk or wheel fixed to the shaft and rotatabletherewith, a brush by which connection is made between a wheel and aconducting wire, a spring arm h by which connection is made between thestationary outer rim, and the rim of the movable .disk or wheel, andacircuit breaker by which contact between this spring arm and the rim isbroken so as to intercept the current when the movable disk has beenrotated to a point corresponding with that indicatedupon the dial,substantially as herein described.

7. A case having a dial fixed to one side, with figures representing thesubscribers connected with the line and hands movable over the dial tocorrespond with the number with which it is desired to communicate, acentral shaft having a disk 0 fixed to it with metallic plates andconnections whereby an intermittent current is produced when the disk isrotated, gear-wheels and a crank by which the shaft and disk arerotated, a wheel or disk fixed to the shaft having connection madebetween its periphery and one of the conducting wires by means of abrush h, a stationary ring,aspring arm h by which communication is madebetween the ring and the rotarywheel H, a contact breaker L, and an armZ movable through a slot in the periphery of the dialwhereby the contactbreaker is moved into the path of the spring arm h at a point coincidingwith the number upon the dial with which communication is to be made, sothat the circuit is interrupted when the spring arm upon the wheel H hasreached the contact breaker, substantially as herein described.

8. In atelephone exchange system, the dial, dial case and pointerscorresponding with the number of stations or subscribers in the system,a switch S by which connection is made with the wires from each station,a central station having independent conducting plates, cars adapted tomove over said plates, and mechanism upon the cars whereby they arecaused to advance by intermittent electrical currents produced byturning a crank and mechanism at either station, conducting arms carriedby the car adapted to make contact with said plates, non-conductingshields, and an electro magnet whereby they are moved to cover theplates before the car starts whereby 'the conducting arms'move over theshields Without contact with the plates, spaces between the shieldsthrough which the conducting arms are allowed to drop into a verticalposition by a reverse movement of the car after it reaches the desiredpoint whereby 10 communication is effected, substantially as hereindescribed.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

WADA Y. SHIBATA. Witnesses:

S. H. NOURSE, H. F. ASCHECK.

